Whether it’s a pair of fringe earrings or a stunning dress, some local Indigenous designers are working to promote sustainability behind every single one of their statement pieces.
Erica Batten is an Indigenous designer and owner of Batts ‘n Barnacles, a custom production fashion line in London, Ont. She often finds inspiration for her fashion lines by spending time in nature. She is now producing designs based on sustainability, a common Indigenous practice.
One of her outfits has a second layer of fabric underneath the outer layer and is designed with fabric paint.
“And so later on, if you want to change it up and make something look a little different, instead of wearing the same thing over and over again, you can adjust it and make it new again,” Batten said.
The inspiration behind her dual-style design is based on Batten’s observation of how her family, when hunting for deer or rabbit, would use every single part of the animal so nothing would go to waste. They would eat the meat, use pelts and skin for clothing and bones as tools, among other things.
“So basically, [we are] appreciating what the Earth gives us and using it in a way that we can show our appreciation back,” Batten said.
Cheap, unbeatable prices
Daniel Pelletier (whose spirit name is Megisa Magawa Tick) is Metis of Ojibwe and French origin. He is also the owner of Bear’s Den Native Crafts in London where he sells a variety of products including his own hand-crafted drums and real raccoon tail hats.
Pelletier’s daughter, Natalie, designs fringe earrings for the shop. She said Indigenous designers and craftsmen pour hours into everything they create and some of those designs end up as fast-fashion sold for a much lower price.
Fast-fashion is a term used to describe cheap clothing that is mass produced but also of such low quality that it often fails to last longer than a few months.
“Then you have native artists who are trying to create and make, and they can’t sell their product to people because ‘Oh I can get that for a dollar [elsewhere]’,” said Natalie.
A lose-lose game
However, buying from fast-fashion brands is a lose-lose game. Dirt-cheap clothes and accessories stolen from Indigenous creative types aren’t meant to last long and put Indigenous designers and artists at a disadvantage. The short-lived products also often end up in landfills.
“I sell leather belts, they’re real leather belts, they’re $40 plus your tax,” Pelletier said. “You can buy a belt around the corner from here for $10. I always tell people ‘Good luck with that’. A $10 belt would last you, if you’re lucky, three months. A $40 belt would last you three years.”
Nevertheless, Pelletier and his daughter take pride in their creativity and said they won’t sacrifice their quality to compete with fast-fashion giants.
“I think I’ve re-made one pair of earrings probably like eight times because I just wouldn’t sell them, the way that they were,” Natalie said.
Pelletier’s been running Bear’s Den for over 12 years and is inspired to continue selling high-quality, sustainable products through the positive feedback he receives from customers.
“Every week, weekends especially, when people come in the store… I get ‘Wow’, ‘This is amazing’, ‘My God, I’ve never seen any place like this before”,” said Pelletier.
He added, “Thank you Creator for the gift, thank you for helping me help people.”
